Garage door construction



April 19, 1938. w, FERRls 2,114,419

GARAGE DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed March 25, 1957' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April19, 1938. w. D; FERRIS 2,114,419

GARAGE DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed March 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedApr. 19, 1938 GARAGE noon CONSTRUCTION William D. Ferris, Sterling,Ill., assignor to Frantz Manui'acturing'Ca, Sterling, 111., .acorporation oi Illinois Application March 25, 1937, Serial No. 132,913

8 Claims.

This invention relates to garage doors, or similar doors, andparticularly to those that are adapted to open upwardly into an overheadopen position.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel andimproved construction and arrangement whereby a garage door of thisgeneral character is constructed and mounted in a way that will moresatisfactorily enable it to accommodate itself to varying conditions ofdoorway and building construction.

A special object is to provide a novel construction and arrangementwhereby garage doors of this kind may be used in pairs, say, for atwo-car garage, in a manner that will tend to obviate the necessity ofusing anything between them, inside of the building, that might be quiteliable to injuriously engage the sides of the automobiles.

Another object is to provide a novel construction and arrangementwhereby the opening movement, as well as the closing movement, of thedoor, is retarded at the end of either movement by friction means thatcan be easily adjusted or regulated to insure the desired retardingeffect, in accordance with the size and weight of any particular door.

It is also an object to provide certain details and specific features ofconstruction tending to increase the general efliciency and desirabilityof a garage door of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists inmatters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which- Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a garage doorembodying the principles of the invention, showing adjacent portions ofthe building.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of certain portions of thesupport upon which the door is mounted for opening and closing movement.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of the parts shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawings.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 in Fig. 1 of the drawings, ona smaller scale.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical detail section on line 5-5 in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing certain of the elements of Figs. 5and 6 in separated condition and in perspective.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a pair of uprightrectangular garage doors I and I, mounted in the two doorways in thefront of (CI. 20-16) a the garage building 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2of the drawings. It will be seen that each door is of a width to swingthrough its doorway, but is preferably of a height to normally engagethe top portion 3 of each doorway immediately inside thereof, as shownin Fig. 1 of the drawings, while in this closed position, each door hasits lower edge resting upon the floor of the garage.

Each door has a pair of upright angle irons 4 secured to the. back orinside thereof, and each angle iron has its rearwardly extending flangeformed with a gap at 5, and the horizontal channel irons 6 are mountedin these gaps or notches, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of thedrawings. To hold the channel irons 6 for endwise adjustment in thesegaps or notches, guide plates Tare bolted to the rearwardly extendingflanges of the angle irons 4. For each door, there is a horizontalchannel iron 8 bolted to the back or inside of the door, with theadjacent end portions of the channel irons 6 clamped therein by bolts 9that extend through the doors. The channel irons 8 may have holes orslots for said bolts, and the channel irons 6 may also have bolt holesof this character, whereby the channel irons 6 are adjustable endwise inthe channel irons 8, for doors of different widths, or for differentdistances between the sides of the building. The outer end of eachchannel iron 6 has a right angle channel arm section [0 secured theretoby rivets and plates II, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, so that these horizontal and parallel arms Ill are rigid withthe channel irons 6, and are thereby susceptible of adjustment towardand away from each other, by means of the bolts 9 previously described.Each arm ID has a brace Ill extending upwardly from a swivel eye 12 onthe arm to an eye 13 on a bracket plate [4 secured to the back or innerside of the door. Thus, these braces l I I can assume differentpositions, according to the distance between the arms ill, for garagebuildings having varying or different structural conditions. Each arm ispivoted on the building at l5, and each arm is preferably provided withaseries of holes l6 for adjustably connecting the lower end of a springI'I thereto, the upper end of each spring being preferably fastened tothe building at I8, by any suitable or desired means.

Thus, each door normally occupies its closed position, as shown in Figs.1 and 4 of the drawings, but, with the assistance of the springs, may beraised into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, in which position the lower end portion of each door restsagainst the under side of the top portion 3 of its allotted doorway. TheSprings help to raise the doors into open position, and then cushion thedownward movement of the doors into closed position.

When two doors are arranged this way, as close together as possible,something must be provided, in an upright position, between the adjacentarms II, to support the pivots l5 of these arms. If a support of thatkind should be vertical, it would then be far enough within the buildingto endanger the sides of the automobiles. Therefore, to avoid suchdanger, an inclined fixed support i9 is provided, which extends upwardlyfrom a point between the adjacent lower corners-of the two doors, to apoint above on the building some distance back from the front of thebuilding, so that the upper and lower ends of this inclined support areheld in fixed position. This inclined support I! is of advantage, itwill be seen, for the reason that it provides clearance below it, at itslower portion, for the wheels and foot-board and mudguards of thevehicles, which are the things on the automobiles that are most likelyto be injured by a side swerve in driving the vehicles into and out ofthe building.

Preferably, each pivot I5 is constructed as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7of the drawings, in order to provide a retarding friction at the end ofthe upward movement of the door into open position, and also at the endof the downward movement of the door into closed position. For thatpurpose, each arm I ll has a bracket plate 20 secured thereto, as bymeans of bolts inserted through holes 2| in said plate, and through thearms. Each plate 20 has a squared hub portion 22, and a metal disk 23,with a su bstantially rectangular opening 26, is mounted on said squaredportion of the plate, the squared portion extending through andsubstantially fitting this opening. This disk 23 is also provided withdiametrically opposite curved slots 25. A disk 26 of asbestos, or othersuitable fibrous material, engages the face of the disk 23, and acup-shaped or flanged disk 21 has its inner flat surface arranged toengage the other side of the disk 26, as shown in Fig. 5 of thedrawings. Bolts 28 are inserted through all three disks, and through theslots 25, to clamp the three disks together, and by means of these boltsthe friction between the disks can be adjusted or regulated to suit theconditions, and in accordance with the weight of the door and thetension of the said springs. The disks 26 and 21 are provided,respectively, with round openings 29 and 36 to receive the hub portion22, so that these disks 26 and 21 will have rotary movement on said hub,while the disk 23 is held against rotation on said hub and will move inunison with the swinging movement of the arm l0, when the doors areopened and closed. A bracket plate 3| is secured to the building, inrigid and stationary position, for each pivot i5; and for each pivot,there is a stud 32 extending through the bore or opening 3 3 of theplate 20, formed at its outer end with a head 34, and at its inner endwith a reduced portion 35 which extends through the opening 36 in saidbracket plate, this reduced portion 36 being riveted over to make thestud 32 rigid with said bracket plate. The latter is also provided withoutwardly bent lugs 31 and 38, arranged substantially ninety degreesapart, as shown. With this arrangement, when a door is raised into openposition, the disk 23 of each pivot turns on the axis of the latter and,by frictional contact, rotates the disk 26 and the disk 21 in unison, sothat no friction is exerted during the main portion of the openingmovement of the door. 39 on the disk 21 strikes the ing 38 previouslymentioned, the rotation of the disks 26 and 21 is stopped, and the disk23 then rotates alone until the ends of the slots 25 engage the bolts 28previously mentioned, and it is during such final rotation of the disk23 that sufilcient friction is developed between this disk and the disk21 to retard the end portion of the opening movement of the door.Thereafter, when it is desired to close the door, all three disks rotatewith a swinging motion of the arm l0 until the ing 39 strikes the lug 31previously mentioned, and then again the disk 23 rotates alone infrictional contact with the disk 26, thereby frictionally retarding theend portion of the closing movement of the door. Preferably, each disk21 is provided with another lug 40, diametrically opposite the lug 39,so that the same disks can be used either at the right or the left. Inthis way, the plates 3| can all be alike, but those at one side willhave their lugs 31 and 38 into position to cooperate with the ing 39,while those at the other side of the doorway will be turned around tohave their lugs 31 and 38 in position to cooperate with the lug 40instead.

Thus, the pivot of each arm ID has a friction device therein, thatdevelops friction at the end of the opening movement of the door, and atthe end of the downward or closing movement of the door, sufllciently tobring the door softly and easily into open position, and softly intoclosed position, when the friction devices are properly adjusted orregulated to insure the desired or requisite degree of frictionnecessary for that purpose.

This application discloses matter common to that disclosed in copendingapplication to same inventor, Serial #97376, filed Aug. 26, 1936.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a garage door, a single rigid door section normally in verticallydisposed position in the doorway of the building, a horizontal arm rigidwith and extending at right angles to the back or inside surface of thedoor, an inclined fixed support extending upwardly and inwardly of thedoorway, from a point adjacent the lower corner of the door, at thefront of the building, to a point above and in rear of its lower end,and a pivot for said arm, on said inclined support, the latter providingclearance below its lower portion for the mud-guards and foot-board ofan automobile, the door thus constructed having a horizontally disposedoverhead open position, when moved upwardly about the axis of saidpivot.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, comprising another similar door,with a similar rigid arm, the two doors being side by side in the samevertical plane, and a pivot for the latter on said inclined support, sothat the latter is between the two arms, whereby the clearance belowsaid inclined support is eiiective for an automobile at either sidethereof.

3. In a garage door, asingle rigid door section normally occupying avertically disposed position in the doorway of the building, ahorizontal channel iron on the back or inside surface of the door, thelength of said channel iron being less than the width of the door,horizontal parallel arms joined to sections of channel iron that areslidable endwise in the channel of said firstmentioned channel iron, sothat the distance between said arms may be changed, vertically However,when the lug disposed angle irons on the back of the door, provided withguiding means for said adjustable sections of channel iron, and pivotsfor said arms on the structure of the building, whereby the said doorhas a horizontally disposed overhead open position.

4. A structure as specified in claim 3, comprising inclined bracesextending inwardly and downwardly from the back of the door to saidarms, and means whereby the upper and lower ends of said braces areadjustably and movably engaged with the back of the door and said arms,to accommodate the adjustment of the latter toward and away from eachother.

5. In a garage door, a single rigid door section normally disposed insubstantially vertical position in the doorway of the building, an armrigid with the inside surface or back of the door, and a pivot for saidarm on the structure of the building, said pivot comprising a poly onalhub on said arm, a metal disk provided with a central opening formed toreceive said hub, and with curved diametrically opposite slots, a diskof friction material engaging said first-mentioned disk, a third diskhaving bolts extending through the friction disk and the slots of thefirst disk, a stationary bracket plate secured to the building structureand provided with outwardly projecting lugs, with a projection on theperiphery of said third disk operating between the lugs on said bracketplate, and a stud inserted through the arm and hub and fastened to saidbracket plate, so that said arm and hub and first-mentioned diskoscillate in unison about the axis of said stud, and said curved slotspermitting slippage between disks, thereby providing lost motionretarding friction for the end portion of both the opening or closingmotion of the door.

6. A structure as specified in claim 5, the lugs on said bracket platebeing spaced substantially ninety degrees apart, on the line of a circlestruck from said axis.

7. A structure as specified in claim 5, said third disk having anotherprojection diametrically opposite its first-mentioned projection, sothat this disk can be used as either a right or a left, with bracketplates which are exactly the same in form, but differently positioned onthe building structure.

8. A structure as specified in claim 5, said firstmentioned disk beingheld against rotation relatively to the arm, by the engagement of thedisk with said hub, but the other two disks having oscillatory motionupon and relative to said hub, and thereby relative to said arm.

D. FERRIS.

